Don’t you just love it when someone mentions a name and you cannot remember
or don’t know it? And the you try to weasel out of it, but only get in deeper?
Yet they know you, and worse yet, all about you. Now if I mention the name
Matthew Beard, I get a bunch of confused looks. But if I mention Stymie from the
Little Rascals, your ears perk up, and a smile comes to your face. This bald
headed, black kid in the bowler hat is instantly recognized. He was funny, and
fun, but also quite the philosopher. And in one short, where the Rascals are in
a field, with each rubbing a lamp making wishes, they had just been told the
story of Aladdin and his Lamp, they were wishing for things. Stymie’s request
was simple, “I wish there were only two days in the year, Christmas and
Saturday.” A wish I have had many times, of times that I don’t want to end,
with subtle changes. Torches and Saturday. The Hollister Rally and Saturday.
The 4th of July and Saturday. My birthday and Saturday. You pick your own
days, and as kids we looked forward to both. Times of no more pencils, no more
books, no more teachers dirty looks. Times of waking up way too early, to see
what Santa brought you. Times when all the cares of the world went away, and
you put your thought process on hold. They were days of great expectations and
of fun. With the anticipation sometimes better than the day. It may rain on
Saturday and you cannot ride, so end up bench racing with friends in the
garage. And of course a name comes up, and each one tries to remember who it
was. They may not remember the name, but they remember the event. Or the
time. Each with a different story to tell, just like each has a wish, it’s that
personal.
And Saturday and Christmas are personal. But each for different reasons.
We look forward to Saturday from Sunday morning on. Counting the hours
sometimes while the teacher drones on. Christmas comes but once a year, and we
count the days, with the help of Christmas ads telling us how many shopping days
we have left. With some making lists and checking them twice, hoping not to
forget anyone. But in the hassle of the season, brought on by families, what to
get everyone, office parties, and finally the big day, we forget about Jesus.
So God in his infinite wisdom, often not interpreted because we don’t have
infinite understanding, has given us two days of Christmas. One for the Jews,
one for the Gentiles, and two that Christians can both celebrate.
So many get bummed at Christmas, Christians leading the way because the
focus is off of Jesus as the Son of God. I tire of hearing “the he really
wasn’t born on December 25th,” and evidence is there to support both sides. But
a few years ago the spirit enlightened me to an understanding, one of who Jesus
is, and why God has given us two days of Christmas. Remember that Jesus is
Jewish. And that Joe and Mary were traveling to Jerusalem for a census, at the
time of Yom Kippur, the day of atonement. And Jesus was born in Bethlehem along
the way. Giving rise to many Christmas songs. What better time for the savior
to come into the world than on the Day of Atonement, to atone for all the sins
we couldn’t atone for ourselves. So the argument against December 25th has some
validity. But remember Jesus was/is Jewish, as were his parents. And the Jews
believe life begins at conception. Go back nine months from September, and we
are in December...say around the 25th? Is it possible the Jews who don’t
believe in Jesus as the messiah, or celebrate Christmas have given us insight to
the day we celebrate? And a loving God has reached out to all, both Jew and
Gentile with two days to celebrate the birth of his son? Has God presented
knowledge of his son that only with divine wisdom we can understand? He tells
us the spirit reveals the mysteries of Jesus, could this be another one right in
front of us we have overlooked? Maybe a good argument, or a tool to make those
who deny the 25th of December a reason to consider the truth about Jesus. And
maybe why scripture never defines the date, but only the time and the season.
But to those who believe and are saved, we get to celebrate everyday.
Everyday in Jesus can be Christmas or Saturday. Even every seven years when
Christmas comes on Saturday, and robs those of Stymie’s persuasion of a day, we
have everyday. So next time someone starts talking down on Christmas, remember
we have 365 days a year to celebrate, the world only offers one. Or two if you
count your birthdays, but don’t as we get older. God gives us everyday through
his son, and two Christmases to celebrate. Giving the Jewish festivals new
meaning as they reveal a loving God to us. And we see Jesus in each feast. And
he gives the presents!
So Merry Christmas to all, every day! But especially on December 25th, so
the world can see the love of Christ through us on that day. And on Yom Kippur
for the Jews to see the savior we worship, the one they are still waiting on.
But celebrate Jesus everyday by living in him. For the others to see. They not
only miss out on the real Christmas, but the blessings of God everyday. You
don’t have too, so maybe Stymie’s wish can come true and it has. Jesus is the
reason for the season, whether it be summer or winter, fall or spring. Live it
and love it, knowing that we have two Christmases to celebrate, the world only
has one. Now when I mention Jesus, what do you think of? And now you know the
rest of the story.....
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com